Flights to the Netherlands and Belgium from the US

Quick answer: Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) is one of the easiest airports in Europe to reach from the US: KLM and its joint-venture partner Delta fly there nonstop from many US cities, including smaller ones such as Austin, Portland and San Diego. Brussels (BRU) has fewer nonstops: Brussels Airlines from Washington Dulles and New York JFK, and United from Newark, as of recent schedules. The two cities are about two hours apart by Eurostar train, so many travellers fly into one and home from the other. The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg are in the Schengen Area, so US citizens need no visa for a short stay but are registered under the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) at the border.

Facts checked November 2026. Schedules and entry rules change, so confirm with the airline and the official government site before you travel.

Benelux flights at a glance

Where you can fly in Benelux

Each city links to every route guide we publish into that airport; each guide covers the airlines, connections and baggage rules, with live fares when the page loads.

• Flights to Amsterdam (AMS)11 route guides
• Flights to Brussels (BRU)8 route guides

How this page fits with our Europe and Amsterdam pages

Our Flights to Europe guide covers every European hub and the entry rules for the whole continent, and our Amsterdam destination guide and Schiphol airport guide go deep on that one city. This page sits between them: it treats the Netherlands and Belgium as one trip, compares flying into Amsterdam with flying into Brussels, and explains how the train ties the two together.

If you are only visiting Amsterdam, the destination guide is the better read. If you are weighing Amsterdam against Brussels, or planning Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp or Luxembourg as well, start here.

Amsterdam: the widest nonstop choice

KLM flies nonstop to Amsterdam from a long list of US cities. Its own US flights include Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego (since May 2025), Minneapolis (planned to become year-round from 2027) and Portland, which KLM took over from Delta in October 2024. Delta, KLM's joint-venture partner, flies Amsterdam from its own hubs such as Atlanta as well, and the two airlines sell each other's flights on one ticket.

Schiphol is also a strong connecting hub. KLM flies onward to most European cities, and its partners Air France and Delta add more, so Amsterdam often works as the one stop on the way to a city with no US nonstop.

As of recent schedules, check with the airline for which days each route runs in winter, because several of the smaller-city routes drop frequency between November and March.

Brussels: fewer flights, a central location

Brussels Airlines, part of the Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance, flies nonstop from Washington Dulles and New York JFK. Its schedule varies by season. United, also in Star Alliance, flies Newark to Brussels, and Delta flies Atlanta to Brussels, as of recent schedules; Delta ended its New York JFK to Brussels route in 2026.

Outside North America, most of Brussels Airlines' long-haul network goes to Africa, so Brussels is a useful stop if you are combining Europe with West or Central Africa.

Brussels Airport is a short train ride from the city's main stations, and from there trains reach Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp. If your trip is mostly in Belgium, flying into Brussels saves the train ride from Amsterdam.

Entry rules for US citizens

The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg are all in the Schengen Area. US citizens can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, counted across all Schengen countries together. Your passport should have been issued within the last 10 years and stay valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen Area.

Since 10 April 2026 the EU Entry/Exit System is fully running. At your first Schengen border, which is Amsterdam or Brussels on a nonstop, officers record your passport, a photo and fingerprints instead of stamping the passport. There is no passport control on the train between the Netherlands and Belgium.

ETIAS is not in operation as of November 2026, and no website can issue one. If you connect through London on the way, you may need a UK ETA if you pass through UK border control, so check GOV.UK.

The train between Amsterdam, Brussels and beyond

Eurostar runs the high-speed trains between Amsterdam and Brussels in about two hours, and Thalys trains now run under the Eurostar name, since Thalys was rebranded as Eurostar in October 2023. From Brussels, Eurostar continues to Paris and to London.

This makes an open-jaw ticket easy: fly into Amsterdam, take the train south through Belgium, and fly home from Brussels or even Paris. On one ticket, the airline protects both ends of the trip.

Luxembourg has its own airport but few long-haul links, so most US travellers reach it by train from Brussels or with a connecting flight through a European hub.

Best and quietest months to fly

Spring is the high point for the Netherlands: tulip season runs roughly from late March into May, and King's Day on 27 April (26 April when the 27th is a Sunday) fills Amsterdam. June to August is peak season for flights across the Atlantic.

December is busy around the Christmas markets in Brussels, Bruges and other cities. January to early March, outside the holidays, is usually the quietest time to fly and the cheaper window for a city break, with short days and cool, wet weather. The fare grid on each route guide shows what is live for your dates.

Route guides to Benelux

Frequently asked questions